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Village of Kenmore
2919 Delaware Avenue
Kenmore, NY 14217
Mayor
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Phone
(716) 873-5700
Fax
(716) 873-0004

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Sump Pumps

Sump pump systems are designed to capture surface or ground water that enters basements or crawl spaces and pump it away from the house. Cross connections (when sump pumps discharge into the sanitary sewer system) are against Village of Kenmore ordinance, and pose economic and environmental problems.

Homeowners use sump pumps in their basements to battle moisture and flooding issues. The basic sump system includes drain tile, a sump pit (which extends below the slab and collects surface water that enters the basement/crawl space or groundwater that rises to the slab), a sump pump, a float or switch, and a drain line. The drain line should direct sump water out of your house and onto your yard to an approved location.

 

What Is a Cross Connection?

When a sump pump is connected to a sanitary sewer line, it is called a cross connection. Often, this is a hose leading from the sump to a laundry tub or a floor drain. Water that goes down any drain in your house leads to the sanitary sewer system and eventually ends up at a wastewater treatment plant, where it is treated before being released back into the environment.

Cross connections are a significant cause of inflow and infiltration and must be fixed and pass inspection before a property can be sold.

 

Why Is This Problem?

Sump pump water is what engineers call "clear water," most often rain water, ground water, or snow melt. This water flows directly into area streams, ponds, and lakes. 

Water from sinks, showers, tubs, toilets, and washing machines is wastewater and must be treated before it is discharged into the environment.

When Clear water, such as that from a sump pump, goes into the sanitary sewer system, it overloads the sanitary sewer system.  Since sanitary sewer water needs to be treated, there is additional costs to the Village which is passed onto our residents and businesses on your quarterly water/sewer bill.

Your sewer rates are based on our costs to the Town of Tonawanda Wastewater Plant.  Treating clear water is costly to everyone.

 

Redirecting Your Sump Pump Connection

Sump pumps should drain into the Village’s storm system and not the sanitary sewer system.  This is achieved through a direct a direct connection (a pipe from the house to the main storm sewer line.

 

Bubblers

Under Village Code, you are also required to have a bubbler installed.

A bubbler helps to more evenly disperse the sump pump water leaving your home.  As a result, water is less likely to collect on driveways and sidewalk.

 

Inflow & Infiltration/Time of Sale Inspections

What is Inflow and Infiltration (I&I)?

Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) is the excess flow of clear water into the Village’s sanitary sewer system.

  • Inflow is when clear water from illegal connections of sump pumps, downspouts, and foundation drains is channeled directly into sanitary sewer pipes. 

  • Infiltration is when groundwater seeps into sewer pipes via cracks or leaky joints.

Because the sanitary sewer system was not designed to handle this excess clear water, it becomes overloaded during times of high groundwater or heavy rainfall. This can cause basement flooding or bypassing of raw wastewater to local streams and lakes.

What's the problem?

Wastewater from the Village travels through the Town’s sanitary sewer system for processing. The Village is charged annually for each gallon of wastewater transmitted and processed by the treatment plant. When I&I gets into the wastewater, our wastewater treatment costs go up because more water is being processed.  In the end, these cost increases result in increases to your water/sewer bill.

The excess clear water from I&I problems also uses sanitary sewer capacity needed for wastewater. The result is sewer backups and increased costs to homeowners and taxpayers for needlessly putting clear water through the wastewater treatment process.

The New York State Environmental Conservation Department (NYSDEC) requires communities with excess I&I to invest in local reduction remedies such as disconnecting sump pumps and foundation drains from sanitary sewers and repairing leaky sanitary sewer pipes. 

To urge compliance, NYSDEC will fine communities with excess I&I.

 

Village Infrastructure Repairs

The Village, like most communities in Western New York, was identified as a contributor of excess I&I and is working to resolve the problem.

The Village has invested millions of dollars to replace or line our sewer lines.  This is an ongoing process which eliminates cracks, breaks and repairs connections.

 

I&I Problem Spots on Your Property

Drainage from roofs, paved areas, yards and other open areas, if improperly discharged, will lead to I&I issues. 

 

Roof Drains and Leaders

Roof drains and leaders direct storm water from roof gutters to the ground through pipes and downspouts. Roof drains should not be connected to the sanitary sewer, but should discharge to the ground outside of a building. 

If your roof drains are connected to the sanitary sewer, disconnect them, plug any open connections to the sanitary sewer using a non-shrink permanent material, and redirect the roof drains onto the ground outside the building.

 

Foundation Drains

Foundation drains are underground pipes that collect storm water from around the base of a building and into a sump pit, where it is then pumped outside of the building. Foundation drains should not be connected to the sanitary sewer. 

If your foundation drain system is connected to the sanitary sewer, correcting the problem could be costly. The process could involve excavation to disconnect the foundation drain from the sanitary sewer and installation of a sump pump system. The new sump system must pump directly to the ground outside of the building or be connected to the Village's storm sewer system.

 

Sump Pumps

Sump pumps are designed to capture surface or ground water that enters basements or crawl spaces and pump it away from the house. The basic sump system includes drain tile, a sump pit, a sump pump, a float or switch, and a drain line. The sump pit extends below the slab and collects surface water that enters the basement/crawl space or groundwater that rises to the slab. 

Sump pumps should not be connected to the sanitary sewer. Sump pumps should drain into the Village’s storm sewer system through a direct connection (a pipe from the house to the main storm sewer line. (Sump Pumps)

 

I&I Inspections Program

To comply with NYSDEC directives regarding I&I, the Village may need to inspect homes and businesses to determine if roof drains, foundation drains, sump pumps (see Program Links), and other clear water sources are connected to the sanitary sewer system. The goal of this program is to reduce excessive flows that enter the sanitary sewer system so the Village won't have to pay NYSDEC penalties.  The Village already conducts these inspections as part of its Time of Sale Inspections and will continue with systematic house-to-house and business-to-business inspections later this year.

Who is subject to an inspection?

  • All properties in Village of Kenmore must be inspected and required to be in compliance before they can be sold. Under the Time of Sale Law, a property must be inspected to ensure that no I&I issues are present. 

  • If problems are found, the corrective work must be completed and an inspection before a Certificate of Compliance will be issued. Upon completion of a successful Time of Sale Inspection. This Certificate is good for 2 years.   Please note that this Certificate is needed in order to close.  We strongly urge you to contact the Building Department to schedule your initial inspection as soon as possible after entering into a Contract for Sale to ensure adequate time for inspections (and re-inspections, if needed).

  • Property owners who apply for plumbing permits, variances, subdivisions, or other actions from the Village will also be subject to an inspection. 

  • In the near future, the Village will conduct systematic house-to-house and business-to-business inspections to check for I&I issues. 

  • Properties identified as having possible problems with connections, may be asked to allow the Village (or its contractor) to perform Smoke and/or Dye tests.  These tests will help to verify if there are any problems and the location of the leak.

Sewer & Storm Water Info 

 

The Village of Kenmore is committed to maintaining and improving our infrastructure.  We've invested millions of dollars on capital improvements to our water and sewer system.  Water Main Replacement Projects replace old water lines.  Street Improvement Projects address the both water and sewer lines, and Sewer lining projects address cracks in our sewer lines.

 

Our infrastructure is comprised of 3 main pieces:  Water lines which bring clean water to your home, Storm Water lines which take away clean water such as rain water from your property, and Sewer lines, which take away dirty water, such as toilet water.

 

The sewer-related capital improvement projects have been implemented to help reduce Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) into our system.  I&I happens when excess clean (storm) water gets into our sewer lines through holes, cracks and joint failures.  It can also happen when downspouts, bubblers, sump pumps and laterals (located on private property) are not properly connected to our system. 

 

To help us to correct I&I attributed to connections on private property, Smoke Testing  will take place on some of our streets. This work will be performed by CoreVIS.  As part of our Consent Order with the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), we are required to inspect properties from the right of way and identify homes which may be inadvertently contributing to inflow and infiltration (I&I) into our system.  Smoke testing will help to identify any problems.

 

You can help by checking your downspouts and sump pumps to make sure they are properly connected. For more information, please check the diagram and links below.

 

Quick Links:

 

STORAGE AND PLACEMENT OF GARBAGE 
GENERAL INFORMATION

The intent of recent legislation is to eliminate possible food sources for rats and other animals, thereby promoting health and safety throughout the Kenmore community.

The Kenmore Municipal Code requires that garbage be placed in a Village-approved tote.  All garbage placed at the curb must be in a tote with the lid closed.

 

OUTSIDE STORAGE OF GARBAGE:  All garbage stored outside must be placed in the black garbage tote with the lid down.  

 

YARD WASTE:  Yard waste (grass clippings, branches, etc.) may be placed at the curb in CLEAR plastic bags or open containers, or bundled. Opaque (including black and green bags) bags CANNOT be used. 

 

RECYCLABLES:  The Village will pick up recyclables, large trash (furniture, etc) and white items.  Recyclables must be placed in the Recycle Tote (black with a green lid).  Recycle collection takes place every other week (see schedule).

 

ELECTRONIC WASTE (E-Waste):  E-Waste (ex:  TVs, computers, monitors, et al) are NOT collected.

 

RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS - PLACEMENT OF GARBAGE:  Garbage is to be placed at the curb no later than 7:00 a.m. on the morning of collection and no earlier than 4:00 p.m. on the day preceding garbage pickup in residential districts.

 

Elderly or disabled persons, who cannot move a garbage tote and has no one to assist him/her, may contact the Department of Public Works to request assistance.  If the DPW verifies that the person cannot move a garbage can, the DPW will bring the can to and from the curb.

 

 

BUSINESS & INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS – PLACEMENT OF GARBAGE:  Garbage is to be placed at the curb no later than 9:00 a.m. on the day of collection and no earlier than 6:00 a.m. of the scheduled pickup day.

 

FINES FOR VIOLATORS:

1st violation Warning

2nd violation w/in 12 months $25 fine

3rd violation w/in 12 months $50 fine

4th violation w/in 12 months $100 fine

5th violation w/in 12 months $200 fine

6th or more violations w/I 12 months $500 fine

 

For more details, please check the Kenmore Municipal Code – Chapter 9

 

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